Skip to main content

August 23 Wisdom, A Sure Shield

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: That wisdom preserves the life of its possessor. ~Ecclesiastes 7:11-12 


Where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ~James 3:16-17 

A fool and his money may soon be parted, but no one can separate you from your hard earned wisdom. That’s why it is such a great shield. Money can be gained and lost, but wisdom is available no matter what your status is in the world. Wisdom is gained through life experience. Its beauty is in the fact that it can’t be bought. It is taught, but you have to be tuned in to the right channel or you might miss it. 

James talks about two kinds of wisdom, worldly wisdom that is better known as, “looking out for No. 1,” and heavenly wisdom that is “pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” It all depends upon the direction of our heart. 

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) It is interesting that, as we grow older, the worldly wisdom usually fades in importance and we find ourselves craving peace, purity, and harmony. Thus, the gift of God’s wisdom becomes most important. Our own personal goals are no longer as important as having family get along and taking the time to listen to others and to God. 

The teacher says that godly wisdom is better than an inheritance; that it will be a more protective shield than money ever could. As we grow in wisdom, we begin to understand why that is and, if we really understand, we will pursue it more than any financial gain. 

God’s wisdom will teach us how to get along so that we no longer have to fight for what we want or defend our way. We learn to value the shield that is growing within us. Each experience that helps us grow in God’s wisdom is a gift, from Him, that can never be taken away. May we lean on it as our protection, appreciate it’s value, and maintain it as our shield to bring us to eternity. 

Prayer: Father, thank You for the gift of Your Word that instructs us in wisdom. Father, thank you for the experiences of life, proctored and monitored by your gracious love, through which we learn the benefits of applying Your wisdom to out decisions. May we lean on Your wisdom as our protection, appreciate it’s value, and maintain it as our shield to bring us to eternity. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Song: Immortal, Invisible 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

258. "Remember, Always Remember!"

Exodus 12:1-30 Key Verse: "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord a lasting ordinance." Exodus 12:14 "Celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come." (Exodus 12:17) "And when your children ask you, "What does this ceremony mean to you?" then tell them, "It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians." (Exodus 12:27) The original act was an act of worship as the first true act of freedom for the people of Israel. They had been brought to Egypt by Joseph during a time of famine so that through Joseph God could preserve their lives. ( Genesis 37 , & 39-50 ) After Joseph died, however, instead of heading back to C...
Post a Comment
Read more

This Little Light of Mine

Scripture: Psalm 130 Listen Link: www.lcepc.org then look for “sermons” tab. It’s the first Sunday of Advent. Today we lit one candle and heard the passage, in Isaiah 9, about the great light! We have heard that the great light is the child born to us on Christmas day. It is Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. Christmas is a day we will truly celebrate as we have for years and years, and our ancestors before us for centuries. Christmas is coming! Advent means coming! It is good to spend the next few weeks reflecting on all that it means for us. We begin from the depths of darkness. The world is still suffering the effects of sin. We are still suffering the effects of a world broken by sin. And not just the consequences of our own sins. According to Romans 8:22, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” The fires in California, the floods and storms on the East coast, and all the other natural disasters we hear ab...
Post a Comment
Read more

August 13 What Is Fitting

It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury—how much less for a slave to rule over princes! ~Proverbs 19:10   On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man!” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. ~Acts 12:21-23  Wow! Well, what in the world can there be to benefit us here? First of all, perhaps we should review the first Biblical definition of a fool, penned by no other than Solomon’s Father, David himself. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1) It is not fitting for the fool to live the blessed life. Why should they when they deny from whom all blessings flow?  King Herod was a fool. Now, just to be clear, this is not the Herod who ruled at Jesus’ birth and ordered the slaughter of the male children in Bethlehem. He ...
Post a Comment
Read more